Best body Canon ever made. Handles well, fast autofocus, sturdy and water resistant, great accessories (like the 550EX flash), wonderful metering, suberb controls, all those sharp Canon L lenses....it is a top notch camera.

I wish that it had a shutter for the viewfinder and handled IR film better.

No complaints and a lot of praise. You may prefer another body (no accounting for taste) but anyone who flames this body is biased or has never used it. It is a wonderful performer. The whining about its "plastic body" comes from cave people who still like to cook on open fires. The polycarbonate over aluminum rails is as tough as any camera needs to be. A blow that would damage it would turn the insides of any camera to mush.

Customer Service

Not needed it

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS1
Nikon F5, F100

Lightning fast AF, while shooting people in the park. After dark, it is a little hard to check focus. I wish it had the Minolta screen The new flash is great too, but for the price I paid, I would like to get the 1/250 like the Nikon n90, instead of the 1/200. The ECF took several tries, but once down, it's OK. Plus you gotta love the IS lens.

No problems with the camera working. Just wish for certain niggles, like a brighter viewscreen. The meter is great, but it is different from the EOS 5. Since it takes more readings than the 5, the variance is greater too. At least I can check it with center weighted meter. Like other below, the AF dies in low light.

Canon built a wonderful piece. It is just packed with Gee-whiz stuff. I wish it was cheaper. For a little more, the Maxxum 9 and Nikon F5 had brighter viewscreen with 100% view. But they don't have the image stabilation lenses.

Customer Service

Canon will stand behind this one

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F5, Maxxum 9, Canon EOS 5, Elan IIe and various cameras

Superb metereing system, superior autofocus system, greatly improved TTL flash metering, fasted TTL sync speed available (Nikon can't do TTL metering with high speed sync and is limited to 1/250 sec.), durable weatherproof body

ECF doesn't work very well with my glasses; it's okay if I'm wearing contact lenses, though

I think this camera is a great alternative to the EOS 1n (not to mention any of the competitor's products) due to its great handling, fast autofocus, great metering, and resistance to rain and snow. No, there's no "plastic" in this camera, but I'm glad Canon made good use of reinforced polymer materials to make it durable without the excessive weight of cameras like the F5. It seemed a bit expensive at first, but after 5 months of use, I think it was worth it.

Customer Service

Although I haven't need service on this camera, Canon's service is second to none!

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F90x, F4, EOS 1, EOS A2

I love everything about it. Very responsive, very sturdy despite others mis-guided opinion.

Calibration does take some time

This is the best camera I have ever picked up. The plastic people refer to is the lightweight high stress material that is nearly impossible to crack. I feel they used it to cut down on weight, unlike some of it's competion.

Close minded people, under all of the "plastic" you talk about is a solid piece of metal construction. I personally think that you guys are just anti-Cannon and VERY pro-Nikon. Ther is nothing really wrong with loving Nikon, but GEEZ! Keep you minds open.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

F100, 1N

Handling, USM lenses

The AF in very low light degrades in speed. There has been no build or use problems.

Those who think it is too 'plasticky' should try it with the PB-E2. With this new power booster the camera has a totally different feel. Also, with the booster the camera becomes the ideal vertical format 35mm tool for action photography.

Customer Service

none needed so far

Similar Products Used:

EOS-1n, F5, F100

Eye control focus, cross between the EOS-1n and A2e.

Under low light condition. I find the camera having dificulty focusing. Also,too priceeee! For using a low cost material.

This camera is a good pro camera with many good capabilities, but is an expensive body that uses a low cost material. I was, also, disappointed with it's focusing capabilities under low light conditions.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Maxxium 9, 300si, 500si, 700si; Canon A2e; Nikon F5, F100

Sturdy construction (yes!), high tech, ECF, lenses, design.

none so far except that ECF does not work too well if you use glasses

Anybody who dismisses this camera as being to "plasticky and clearly not sturdy enough" after having held it in hand only once is WRONG, plain and simple. Yes, if you compare it to an EOS-1n, against which it competes as top-of-the-line model, it is _lighter_, but it surely is at least as sturdy. Did you know that there is metal underneath that "plastic" ? Did you know that this "plastic" is almost impossible to break and that this camera is designed as being "especially water-proof" ? I can understand that somebody who has used his EOS-1 for years has gotten used to that kind of weight and that the EOS-3 feels a bit lightweight when you first hold it. But the solution is simple: Just strap on the extra battery pack and put in some mignons. This will improve handling (larger grip) and - hooray! - it will also add some extra weight. I have done this, and the combination of EOS-3 plus battery pack is just wonderful.

No need to talk about the AF system, it is the best you can get in ANY camera on the market. No competition, not from Canon itself, not from Nikon, not from Minolta or anybody else.

The first batches apparently had some problems with metering, but my EOS-3 does not have any. Only sad thing is that - unlike the EOS-1n - this camera uses an infrared film advance sensor, which causes problems when using infrared sensitive film.

Customer Service

not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

EOS-1, EOS-5

good autofocus for copywork.

feels cheap, overpriced.

Decent camera, but way overpriced. I shoot bike races and shot one a few months ago with a Sigma SA-5 and one a week or two ago with the EOS3. After compairing photos, I think the Sigma did just as good a job for about half the price. I do like doing copy work with the EOS3, the auto focus is better for that type of work.

Customer Service

not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Sigma SA-5, Cannon Rebel, Leica R3, R8

Fast, Accurate, and Simple to use. Controls well laid out, excellent E-TTL and flash options. Feels comfortable in hands. VERY reliable metering

ECF is a bit quirky at times. Accessories a tad expensive.

The 3 is a pinnacle in photography. The control layout is simple, easy to use, and plus it is a very sturdy body. The composite materials handle extremely well. The modeling flash is a great tool, with the 550ex flash, in setting up shots. The hardest thing with the 3 is to put it down. For any photographer looking for a high end reliable camera this is the one.

Customer Service

Haven't Needed it

Similar Products Used:

Eos 1n, Eos Elan IIe, Rebel X, Rebel G, Nikon N2002s, Minolta Vectis

Is feels good, has all featured I need, ECF works perfectly, AF is fast

AF is slow in low light

The first time I took the camera it fits perfectly my hand. ECF is really nice, but I used only the 11 AF fields mode most of the time. AF is really fast and quiet with the USM lenses. All switched are where I look for them.

Customer Service

not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

F-601, F-801, F-801s, EOS 50e